Heaven Sweet Heaven
by Clara the Writer
Summary: "Well… We are here now." Leo said. "You see us now. We are now together… Here in afterlife, I think." [Post SAINW, gore/torture, Raph's potty mouth]
1. Chapter 1

**Inspired from this Zelda fanfic I had read way back about all Links enjoying the afterlife and had random shenanigans. Also, inspired from this SAINW fanfic called "Mist and Shadows". It's here in FF.**

* * *

"I'm… Sorry…"

"Donnie! Donnie!"

"MIKEY! NO!"

"Ack!"

"Leo! No!"

"Leo! Hah… Ungh..."

* * *

He groaned and opened his eyes. There is only vast blue sky. It's been years since the last time he saw the sky that beautiful. It was during their youthful days so many years ago.

Wait.

He can see...

He can see again!

He looked around. He just noticed two sleeping bodies beside him. "Mikey! Raph!" He shook them, causing the two to groan. He felt lighter, he stared at his own chest and arms, and there are no scars anymore. He felt young again. Deep inside, he's been longing to see his family to his own sight again and not by presence.

"Unnghh… Can I have some s'more?" Mike murmured, seemed he is dreaming about food again. Leo shook the two again and they roused.

"... Leo?" Mikey asked while rubbing his eyes. "Why… Why are you here? Where are we?" He looked around. They seemed to be in a field full of flowers and a forest behind them. There is a big white gate in front of them and it's open.

"Mike… Your arm…" Raph pointed out.

Mike stared widely eyed at his left hand. It's there. He can move it like before! He doesn't feel the incompleteness in his body anymore. Raph grinned that he can finally see them using his both eyes.

The stood up and looked at each other before going inside the gate.

"Since we're all here together… Seemed we died in battle then." Raph said.

"Did we win?" Mikey asked.

"I supposed we did…" Leo answered. "I had a feeling we did…"

* * *

They walked along the single trail in the forest. The forest is bountiful in fruits and wildlife. It's like paradise.

"I'm glad that I'm able to see you guys before I died…" Mikey said while looking above. "I thought I was going to die alone in my old age. I thought I'm going to die and my brothers still angry at each other… That my family will remain broken." Leo and Raph looked at each other. Mikey never spoke such sentence like that ever since they separated ways. He always remained silent most of the time.

They didn't realize they made their Mikey very broken.

"Well… We are here now." Leo said. "You see us now. We are now together… Here in afterlife, I think."

"Yeah, like Leo said." Raph spoke after.

"This is the part we say our sorry, I guess." Leo said. "I… I know I failed…" He winced. "I know I'm a dishonor… I let the family down… I'm… I'm sorry. I really wish I didn't let Sensei perish that time. I wish I could switch with him, I'm-" Leo's tears are falling from his dark blue eyes. All those bottled up thoughts he wanted to say for so many years had finally been free.

"Ya did the best ya could." Raph leaned on the tree with his arms crossed. "I only thought that… We all be alive after dat because ya know, we always escape danger because of our turtle luck. It ain't right… Sensei bein' dead just like dat. I know I ain't his favorite… I… I always know dat… I'm starting to feel sorry that in the end, I didn't try to be a good son… And a brother... 'Sor-" He stopped speaking when Leo embraced his hot tempered brother. Raph was stunned but isn't able to conceal his tough facade when he heard Leo sobbing.

"Father loved you, Raph… He always did. B-Before he… He said that whatever happens, I must look after you... He doesn't want you to go astray. S-Sometimes, he goes to my dreams to remind me of what I s-should do."

Raph only bowed his head and is shaking. He always felt that Leo is keeping an eye on him for some reason. He always took it as a challenge which leads to more explosive arguments.

Michelangelo smiled.

"So, still brothers?" He said, looking at Leo and Raph, who calmed down after their embrace. The two elder brothers looked at each other and did a fist bump.

"Always."

* * *

The little brother squealed and tackled them. Leo gasped while Raph grunted Mikey's name as they tumbled on the grass. The brothers are glad that slowly, their Mikey is going back to his usual goofy form. Mikey only stopped when he just noticed there is a house in the far end of the forest trail. "Look!"

The trio stood up and dusted their kneepads and all. "I wonder who the owner of that is." Leo asked as they walked along towards the house. "Guess we better check it out." Raph continued.

A simple two storey house with a brown roof and fresh lilac flowers around it. They stopped once they saw someone standing at the door. He seems to be expecting them.

"Huh?" Mikey squinted his eyes. The person seemed… Very familiar.

"No way!" Raph shouted. They ran faster and faster.

"Welcome home, guys. I'm… I'm sorry I-... I was gone… B-But I never left you guys… I'm s-sorry-"

"DON!" They tackled the sole turtle. This is their Don, not the Don they had encountered before they died. They savored his scent and form, it's been so many years since the last time they saw him. They thought he died. They missed him… So much. Their Don has many scars like them. He had similarities to the Don they met before. All of them are crying and remained like that for a few minutes.

"Why… Why did you leave us like that?" Mikey hiccupped. "I'm… I'm angry at you!" He sniffed. "You ditched us!"

"Mike… Let me explain…" He held Mikey's arm. Don knew what happened to that left arm before. "Please give me a chance to explain everything." He said as they all stood up.

"You just don't know what happened to us, Don!" Mikey spat out.

"I know… I know what happened… Everything and I will explain how. Just… Please come inside… I expected your arrival." He said. The three just nodded and proceeded inside.

The inside of their house reminded them of their sweet sewer home but this is a lot cozier. Don proceeded to the kitchen to bring some soup to his guests.

"I… I've been waiting for you for so long… I know I had a lot of lacking to your lives… I'm really sorry…" Don looked down.

"What happened, Don?" Leo asked who is less livid than Michelangelo.

Don's breathing hitched. All the past life memories are flashing in his mind. They had the right to now. They became miserable because of him.

Donatello breathed. "I was captured." They gasped but never said a word after.

"I was captured by this military scientist named Bishop…" His breathing hitched again. "He took me to his facility… I…" He hugged himself, wanting warmth. "I was being tortured… So many times… He wanted information about my kind… And… I tried..." His tears are forming. "I didn't say a word… I wanted to protect my family… I remained like that for weeks, all wounded, little food and water… I felt so unsanitary." He sniffed. Raph went beside him and cradled his head to his shoulder to calm him down. "These… S-scars… Came from him… It's too great… T-That I still carry it till my afterlife… It didn't h-heal like yours for so many years… I… I can't detect S-Sensei for guidance… I feel so lost… I tried to escape many times… But they caught me a-again… They punished me once more..." Leo went beside him to rub his shell.

"He asked me… One last time where my family is..." Don breathed out. He can remember bit by bit of endless pain he endured. "I… I told him… That he should kill me because… I will not say anything… He..." Mikey's eyes widened and starting to cry, he barely imagined the things his purple banded brother had to get through. "I barely b-breathe… Anymore… I can't detect my family… I tried m-meditating… I tried… I tried to fight… Then I just realized… T-That I lost all hope."

Mikey went and wiped Don's tears with his thumbs. Raph looked away as little tears are threatened to fall. Leo just let his emotions fall. Mikey is being a big mess as he now understood what happened. This is not the time to hide anything anymore. "He… He stabbed me… Many times… I saw my b-blood… All over the floor… I felt dizzy after… I felt agonizing pain… I kept my word… Till the end." He wailed but he felt his brothers' arms around him. "Then… Slowly… I slowly… Died. But my family is safe… That's all that matters."

"P-Please forgive me… I'm not strong enough… To come back… I tried… I tried." Don continued to cry, vivid memories are stuck in his head. He felt the every stab the scientist did to him. He winced and wailed. The three took hold of him tight. Don's breathing returns to normal after a few minutes. He heard whispers of "its okay… It's okay." Leo, Raph and Mikey looked at each other and nodded. Raph and Leo lifted the emotional Donatello upstairs. Don panicked and looked at them. Then he realized was being laid on the bed and they didn't leave. He learned that they went up for a larger space to lie down. Mikey returned with a glass of tea to calm Don, as this is always Sensei's remedy for their depressive days.

"T-Thank you…" He muttered. Mikey aided him to lift the cup as his hands are too shaky to hold it firmly.

"Now, calm down. We learned your story now… And we thank you." Leo said and continued rubbing his shell. "It's not easy to all of us… But learning that, he is going to pay in what he did."

"And it's bullshit ya are weak." Raph said. "Ya are stronger than ya think. Heck, ya got one hell of a spirit, Don."

"We are here now." Mikey said, iterating what Leo had said before in the forest. "You see us now. We are now together… Here in afterlife, I think…" He smiled as Leo smiled at the exact sentence he had said before. "I'm sorry for what I had said…"

"It's… It's okay… You had the right… I left you, guys."

"But not in purpose… You are being captured… We are sorry, that we throw all the anger and frustration to your name…" Leo said.

"I… I know that… I saw everything that happened." Don reassured.

"By how?" Mikey asked. Don stared at him tiredly.

"I think Don needs to rest for a while… I'm pretty beat as well..." Raph yawned.

* * *

All of them stayed beside Donatello. They all remembered they slept like this when they were tots, or when someone is ailing or sad. Don sniffed and smiled. He closed his eyes. His heart is now at ease. He synchronized his breathing by theirs.

He had the best sleep after almost thirty years of waiting.


	2. Chapter 2

**Warning: Post SAINW, gore/violence/Raph's potty mouth**

Bright light shone on Don's face as morning has risen. He groaned and pulled the covers more until his eyes are used at such brightness.

"Good morning," He heard a whisper and really trying to open his eyes. He saw Mikey peeking on the door with a tray of food. "... Mike?"  
"Yeah…" He went inside and gently placed the tray at the side table. "You shouldn't bother…" He looked at the clock and panicked. It's 8:30 in the morning! "Oh shit! Oh shit! I forgot to do things today! I have to make breakfast for you three!"  
"Don! Calm down! It's already being covered. I already cooked food while Leo and Raph did the chores." Mikey explained. It made Donatello blinked.  
"Oh… But you three are my guests… Oh man… I didn't mean to oversleep." He apologized.  
"You lack sleep so much even when we were alive before… So yeah, it has taken a toll on you." Mikey said while giving him a bowl of fresh soup. "And… Pssh, we're not your guests…" He stopped. "Brothers remember?" Don looked at him and nodded.

A knock on the door was heard and it opened. "Is everything alright?" Leo peeked. Don smiled. He remembered the Leo he watched before is too broody. All of them are too dark that he didn't know they are his brothers. He realized just then, how much have changed because he disappeared. It went to his mind how useless he is, especially when it came to physical attributes, like Raph, who had the strength, and Mikey, who had the agility. Right now, he felt the Leo he knew is nearly there...

"No need to worry about me, Leo. I'm fine." Donnie reassured. "You're treating me like the guest here. I don't deserve such kindness from you three… After what I did..." He muttered. Leo went inside and sat beside Donatello. "This is the start of the new day… I know it's sudden. But you are here now. We all died separated… Now we are here again. I don't know many details but before… I wished everything will go back the way it was."

"I know, Leo… I saw you saying it alone in your bunker." Donnie said. Leo was surprised.  
"About that what I asked last night… How did you know?" Mikey interjected.  
"Oh! I'm sorry… I..." He reached for the side table and opened the shelf. Inside is a small glowing orb. "This orb is the dimension you are in…" He said while showing April and other citizens rebuilding a new city.

"Look at April go..." Mikey said. He is genuinely smiling. "Well, I'm glad I will be able to see what happened after we…" He stopped. It's still sinking to him that they had moved on to afterlife.  
"Well, seemed we really did a good job." Leo chuckled. "At least, New York is going to go back to normal."  
"There are other orbs around the house." Donnie stated. "There are a lot of dimensions and universes. We can't cross to them but they can transfer here." He explained. "So I can't go and visit in a long period. There are some occasions that you can… By the way, where is Raph?"  
"Well, he is outside. Probably thinking about things…" Leo answered. "I don't understand him sometimes."  
"Hmm…" Mikey put his thinking cap on which rarely got acknowledged. "Maybe he had a jet lag or a… Uhh… Afterlife lag?" Donnie giggled in response. Mikey is the one who usually gave perspectives of the other, like what he did when Leo is in grumpy mode that time.  
"I'll talk to him." Don said. But his two brothers stopped him. "Don, you need to rest more. You are much drained last night…" Leo reasoned.  
"A fresh air will do me fine, Leo." Don reassured. "But thank you."

* * *

Raph is sitting on a stump, seemed to be in a deep thought as he just stared at the trees. He just watches the wind gust and let the stray leaves be with them. Don fumbled his fingers as he slowly approached his older brother. Leo and Mikey watched them behind.  
"Hey, Raph…" Don said softly. "You okay?" Raph jerked and took a while to turn around.  
"I'm okay... "He answered. "It's just that… We're stuck here. It's not what it's used to be. Only us."  
"Who said we're the only people here?" Don said.  
"Wait, there are others here?" They all asked. Don nodded. "Yes, Casey, Leatherhead… Even Master Splinter." They gasped. Seemed that they just needed the whole family here because they have been lonely for a long time.  
"Really? Master… Master is here?! Can you take us to him?" Leo asked. He wanted to meet his role model again. He had long for his care, advices and even his strict discipline.  
"Of course. I'm planning later but we can go there now." He said. "We better get cleaned and dressed first. You can use the bathroom or we can bathe in the lake."

* * *

The four turtles enjoyed the nice, warm, cleared lake. This made them remember when they were in the farmhouse, so many years way back before everything got ugly.

Mikey, being an active turtle again keeps splashing his hot tempered brother. "Why you-!" Raph said as he swims fast to chase Mikey. The orange banded turtle squealed and dive deeper in the lake. Leo had finished bathing and trying to meditate. Ever since Shredder is taking over New York, he had a very hard time to meditate, not even relax. He had lost his connection with his father ever since he died.

"You seemed having a hard time, Leo." Leo opened his eyes and sees Don still in the water.  
"All I see is cloudy." Leo sighed. "Even in the afterlife I can't get a decent meditation anymore." He stood up. "We better get going." Raph is shaking Mikey when they stopped and looked at him.

* * *

After a half hour walk, they saw a small temple. The garden is tended well and they smell incense. They knew that if they are not forced to go underground, this is the place Sensei wanted to live in.

Don urged them to go inside, as Master Splinter probably knew that they are here already.  
The interior is very Zen and peaceful. A figure was kneeling in front of the altar with the picture of his master, Yoshi. It is as the thing they remembered, when their teacher is wearing brown robes. They were speechless as they don't know what to say after all of the years without his guidance and presence.

"You have arrived my sons." He spoke. They held their breath when their master turned around. He is the same Splinter, the same father they had love. "Welcome home." He extended his arms, signaling for a hug.

They ran like little children and embraced their father figure. Don is smiling that their family is whole again. Mikey is crying nonstop, he is glad he is able to embrace his father with two arms instead of one. Meanwhile, Leo and Raph try not to cry.  
"Michelangelo, don't cry no more. I'm here." He spoke. The youngest sniffed and wiped his tears away. Splinter had seen his children suffer under the hands of the Shredder. This is a glorious day. "I am so proud to all of you."

"Father, I'm not-" Leo said.  
"No, Leonardo. You have done well." He smiled. "I have been waiting for your return." Leo looked so distraught.  
"Master Splinter, I think Leo wanted to speak with you." Don said. "We will be outside the rock garden." He said as he pushed Raph and Mikey away despite protests.

* * *

"Why you do that for?" Raph asked, a little irritated. He wanted to speak and be with his father again. Even Mike is in the same side as Raph but he is not that annoyed.

"Leo had been so disturbed since you arrived here." Don said. "We have all the time now. There's nothing to rush."  
"He ain't the only one who is disturbed, Don."  
"I know, Raph. It's just Leo is so troubled. Like, he is supposed to be the leader, the fearless one. But it reduced to a blind old turtle without his brothers, neither his guide. He is very off centered, Raph." Don explained. "Maybe Father will make his mind at ease."  
"Yeah, because he is the favorite." Mikey said. "Even as the youngest doesn't cut Sensei's attention."  
"Actually, I did say the same thing to Sensei." Don replied. "But he said he doesn't have any favorites. He loved us all the same. He said, he reminded us of Tang Shen."  
"Uhm… Master's Yoshi's-"  
"Yes. I do not know why either." Don said. "Like I said, the war is over. This is somehow the reward we can get." He smiled.

* * *

Leonardo and Splinter are kneeling in front of each other. Splinter is drinking tea while Leo just remained there.

"Ah, so much things in your mind." Master Splinter said. Leo's hands curled into fists.  
"How can you be so proud of me? I failed in everything you taught to me!" He burst out. "I wasn't able to be sort things with my brothers, I failed every mission to stop Shredder, and everyone had suffered because of my negligence! I didn't even know why I still lived! I had no honor left!" He yelled. He is shaking, tears are threatening to fall. "I… I don't understand… I did everything I could."

"My son… I'm always proud of you." He walked closer to him. "You still fight till the end. You didn't abandon anyone because you swore to protect them. I know it is bound to fall apart, that your brothers didn't take it well… And I'm sorry, I left too early. You only did what I had told you, to save yourselves." He embraced Leonardo. "You only did what you can. You saved the world along with your brothers. You gave the people a new leash of life. I have watch all of you suffer… And it pains me so that I couldn't help." He said. "You deserved this peace, Leonardo. Everything is alright now."

Leo stopped crying and remained there beside Sensei for a couple of minutes. When Leo is able to support his own, Splinter stood up. He nodded when he sense Leo's mind is at ease.

"Now, my son… It is meditation time. Call your brothers. We will start our daily routine again." Splinter said. Leo nodded and smiled. He stood to go outside.


End file.
